Control systems for extendable masts have been provided heretofore, and generally, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,635 for example, have a mast that is moveable between a retracted position and an extended position. One end of the mast is pivotally mounted to a base that is secured to a transport vehicle. In the retracted position, the mast is of compact length and can be pivoted at the base thereof toward a position generally horizontal and parallel with the roof of the transport vehicle. In such a retracted and horizontally stowed position, the mast is secured in place and the vehicle can be driven in the typical manner. As the need arises, the vehicle is parked in a suitable position adjacent the area where the mast is to be deployed, and the secured mast unsecured. At this point, a control panel mounted on and/or within the vehicle and/or a wired control pad for controlling the power source for erecting the mast is employed to pivot the mast into an upright position and to extend the mast. The mast need not be moved into a substantially vertical position. Rather, the mast may be pivoted into a position in which the extended end of the mast most suitably approaches or overhangs the deployment site.
Generally, lights, such as spot lights, flood lights, or other high output lights, will be on the extended end of the mast so that the elevation of the extended end will permit the lights to shine downwardly on the deployment site. As can be appreciated, devices other than lights can be connected to the end of the mast (e.g. cameras, antennas, dishes, microphones, monitors, flags, baskets, etc.). It should be noted that the deployment site may be a construction area, an accident site, or any other area temporarily requiring illumination and/or other device. It should also be noted that the site is often dynamically changing so that the focus and position of the lights, and/or other device, may need to be frequently adjusted. The lights and/or other devices at the end of the mast often include motorized mounting arrangements that allow the lights and/or other devices to pan about a vertical axis or rotate about a horizontal axis. Such motorized mounting arrangements are controlled by and/or moved in response to electrical signals generated by a control panel and/or wired control pad, such as will be described hereinafter. Typically, such as is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,635, a control panel is mounted within the vehicle that can be used to position the mast, and therefore the lights and/or other devices attached thereto, as desired. However, this makes the task of properly positioning and directing the lights and/or other devices difficult because the operator is accessing the control panel from inside the vehicle, and therefore the operator may be unable to see the position of the mast and lights and/or other devices. This difficulty has been at least partially resolved, as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,635, by providing an external receptacle in the mounting base of the mast. The receptacle receives a plug from a hand-held control pad. The control pad communicates with the control circuitry in the base of the mast in the same way that the control panel inside the vehicle does; that is, by sending a series of electrical signals through the internal wiring from the control panel, and/or through the external plug from the control pad, to the control circuitry in the base of the mast. In both cases, the appropriate electrical signals are generated in response to the depression of control buttons on either the control panel or external control pad. The provision of an external control pad that has a wire that plugs into the base improves the operator's ability to position the mast and lights and/or other devices during initial deployment of the mast, by allowing the operator to stand outside the vehicle and view the position of the mast and lights and/or other devices during deployment.
One disadvantage of the wired control pad is that the operator must return to the vehicle to reposition the mast and/or lights after initial deployment, as the illumination needs and/or other device needs in the deployment area change. The wire from the control pad to the external receptacle of the base can be cumbersome and/or otherwise problematic to use if it is too long. Furthermore, a long wire from a control pad can be damaged if allowed to extend across a construction site or emergency area. As a result, the wire on an external control pad is relatively short, requiring that the operator be near the vehicle to adjust the mast and lights and/or other devices. This is a disadvantage if the operator must leave his or her current task to return to the vehicle and adjust the mast and lights and/or other devices.
In view of the present state of the telescoping masts, there is a need for a mast control system that enables an operator to easily and conveniently operate the mast at a remote location.